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Heres another idea, read any of Nick Jans books about life in the northern interior of Alaska. He drove up here 20 something years ago and was a teacher up in Ambler. He has a couple books now and he contributes to the Alaska Magazine. He has a bunch of interesting stories on life in Alaska. He also has a book on that wacko Tim Treadwell "The Grizzly Maze."

Is this a problem in Alaska? I understand the opportunity exists.....but how many people can really live like that.....at least from the lower 48.

Is there still any affordable land left in alaska that is on the water and at least a short flight or boat ride from civilization? Preferably SE Alaska

I'm not sure how much of a problem it really is; after all, it's very unrealistic. I just get tired of seeing posts from people thinking they can just do that and it's offensive to those of us who get our land the honest way. I don't go skipping around the lower 48 just throwing up shanties. If someone really wants to live remotely, the over the counter land sales are very reasonable. Also, some of that remote land that people might get dropped off on happens to belong to private individuals...they better hope it ain't mine.

Affordable SE land...near water...gonna be tough but you might be able to find something. There isn't any over the counter land available in SE at all. Now and then some good deals come along--right now I'm looking a copy of the local paper and I see some things. Looks like some reasonable land over in Thorne Bay.

I blame movies like Jeremiah Johnson and Into The Wild for people with ideas like this. They need to think of what they're about to do before we find a couple of dead bodies in the wilderness.

I agree, but I look at it this way. If they are like Chris McCandless and are too stupid to prepare properly resulting in their demise, then it improves the overall gene pool of the species. Just remember, dead people don't reproduce!

There have been people sneaking in here for years. Since the 1800's. But many died along the way. Then they came up with the 1000 lbs of gear to even be allowed up the trail. And many still died. It's not any picnic. I'd consider spending a year in a civilized place and then see if you still want to crawl off the face of the planet and spend year round in a remote small cabin. You may end up going postal on your spouse or the neighbors. It's happend more than once.

There are lots more people who move up here, figure out how to live and end up being productive members of society. I don't buy into the people coming up and dying like flies. Yes, people do come up and some have to be rescued. But most don't. Most learn how to live and stay to become Alaskans. Some burn out after a year or so.

But it's not like Alaska is the ends of the earth where there be monsters ready to eat all the unwary.

People need to have realistic expectations. They shouldn't expect hot showers out in the boonies. They will be working to just keep warm. If they have realistic expectations, the willingness to learn, and the willingness to work, I don't have a problem with them.

Most of the people on this board, (except Alaska Natives), were new here at some time, or their parents were new. Some people want to live the bush lifestyle, more power to them. I have lived it, and love it. But the rest of my family likes hot showers and the mall.

There are lots more people who move up here, figure out how to live and end up being productive members of society. I don't buy into the people coming up and dying like flies. Yes, people do come up and some have to be rescued. But most don't. Most learn how to live and stay to become Alaskans. Some burn out after a year or so.

But it's not like Alaska is the ends of the earth where there be monsters ready to eat all the unwary. Don't we call them bears and wolves?
People need to have realistic expectations. They shouldn't expect hot showers out in the boonies. They will be working to just keep warm. If they have realistic expectations, the willingness to learn, and the willingness to work, I don't have a problem with them.

Most of the people on this board, (except Alaska Natives), were new here at some time, or their parents were new. Some people want to live the bush lifestyle, more power to them. I have lived it, and love it. But the rest of my family likes hot showers and the mall.

That's why I don't live in the woods, hot running water and some place proper for it to run off to!

I'd be all for allowing every determined ignoramus their own individual chance to starve to death in the wilderness...provided that they sign a waiver and post a bond first.

The waiver would specifically exempt the AK State Troopers from any requirement to bail them out of trouble, and the bond would pay for the flight hours and overtime from when they ended up doing it anyway.

It irritates me to no end reading about it time and again where the Trooper/Coasties/Mountain Rescue types are out there risking their own lives and wasting the publics money plucking the latest set of muddle-headed moorons out of their latest self-made mess. Included in the latter category I specifically include heli-skiiers, remote-river white-water rafters, clueless trophy hunter types and all the various and sundry McCandless wanna-bes, present and future .

C'mon guys...not on my nickle please.

If you absolutely gotta go freeze to death in the arctic wilderness, I'll second the notion of doing it up in Canada instead.

People who want to live in the boonies should stay for at least a year in a place like this one in Fairbanks (broken link) This will feel like heaven after a year in a make shift 8X10 cabin in the bush.

That's what Heimo Korth lived in during his first few years trapping. It's easy and fast to build and keep warm.

The reason so few people are living like that is because most people find that they actually do want to talk to people. I discovered that I wasn't a complete hermit after getting stuck for 3 weeks in the foothills of the Brooks Range in February in an 8X10 wall tent. I didn't have any reading material or radio. That place was so remote that I hardly ever even heard an airplane. It was in that tent that I decided to go the University and enter society.

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